A Relationship in Snippets
by MangoGirl19
Summary: 'Christian Grey', Darcy's tone is that of a person who has been pushed to their every limit. 'Why the hell are you being like this' An unlikely friendship between a chatterbox and a recluse changes the course of their lives. AU. Christian/Darcy Lewis
1. 1999 I

Chapter One

1999

I

The Greys moved next to them two years ago. They have three kids: Elliot, Christian and Mia. Within a week, Christian has been admitted to Darcy's school being that he's the same age as her and she's enlisted to walk with him to school.

Darcy's tried to talk to him multiple times on their way to school but after her first fifty attempts at conversation fizzle out, Darcy gives up and now they just walk along in silence.

Despite the fact that he doesn't talk to her at all, she finds him waiting for her at the front gate of her house every morning before school at 8:05 AM sharp. Her mother often giggles and says that maybe the poor boy has a crush on her and yet is too shy to say so and Darcy doesn't have the heart to tell her that it is the other way around. It's Darcy who has the biggest crush on their neighbor's middle child and is too afraid to tell him.

Today's yet another school morning but it's special as well. It's the first day of their sophomore year and Darcy is so nervous and excited that she breaks her cereal bowl and gets a nasty big milk spot on her new skirt.

It's almost eight o'clock and Christian is going to be here any second so she runs up and changes into another skirt. It's her ninth grade skirt and she's grown quite a bit in the summer so it falls quite above her knees.

She slips on a pair of running shorts beneath the skirt to keep from flashing someone if she has to bend down and runs down the stairs picking up her bag on the way and bursts out of the door into the bright sunshine.

Christian is waiting for her at the front gate and she cannot help but grin at him, she's just so happy to see her.

Christian looks at her, shading his eyes from the sun with his hand, his brows drawing together in puzzlement. She walks towards him and his mouth moves downward in a frown.

'What', Darcy tucks a strand of bright hair behind her ear. Christian just shrugs and begins walking away from her.

Darcy power walks to catch up with him. 'What', she pants, grabbing his shoulder to stop him. He sighs and removes her hand from his shoulder and begins to walk again.

'Christian Grey', Darcy's tone is that of a person who has been pushed to their every limit. 'Why the hell are you being like this?'

Unsurprisingly, Christian doesn't reply and keeps walking. However, instead of shutting up, Darcy decides to let go. It's a new day, a new beginning, she's ready for it, she's ready for her destiny and she is going to change the status quo.

'Why don't you talk to me?' Darcy says. 'We're friends in a way, aren't we? You clearly find me tolerable since you deign to walk beside me for twenty minutes each morning, which is like-'

'I don't tolerate you', Christian says as he turns back to look at her, one eyebrow arched endearingly. 'I happen to like your company and I'm going to break tradition and continue walking to school if you want to stand here and talk all day.'

'Fine Grumpykins', Darcy huffs as she jogs to catch up with him. Christian's eyes flicker downwards for a second and little Darcy leans back on her chair and smirks a little. Christian Grey is a boy, a very quiet, a very different boy but a boy nonetheless. 'At least I got you to admit that you like me.'

Christian doesn't reply. 'I like you too', Darcy continues. 'Though I do think that the verbal communication part could use some work.'

She looks at him out of the corner of her eye and he's smiling. A little but he is .

It's a good morning and Darcy skips a little as she walks.


	2. 1999 II

1999 II

It's not a good day. Well, it was in the beginning but it's not looking too good now that she's sitting outside the principal's office on her first day in tenth grade. Her parents are going to be thrilled.

'Miss Lewis', the receptionist calls out. 'Go in, please.'

Darcy squares her shoulders and walks into the principal's office.

An old wizened woman sits behind a desk and she looks a lot like Maggie Smith.

'Ma'am', Darcy greets her, hands clasped deferentially behind her back.

'Miss Lewis, please sit.'

Darcy does so and looks at Christian who sits in the chair besides hers. His nose is a little crooked, his lower lip is swollen, his collar hangs away from his shirt on the left side and the shirt is dotted with blood. This is not one of his good days.

This is absolutely splendid, Darcy thinks. The Grey's are going to be thrilled too.

'Miss Lewis', the principal's voice rouses her from her thoughts. 'Your friend here has refused to defend himself. Do you wish to say something about what happened today?'

'Certainly', Darcy straightens in her chair. 'I was called some unflattering names and propositioned by one of the boys here and when I refused him, he made unwelcome and inappropriate physical advances. Christian intervened on my behalf and I'm grateful.'

The principal looks at them both, eyes flickering between the both of them. She seems to have come to some sort of conclusion because she asks Darcy to leave.

Darcy does so but not before she whispers a quite thank you to Christian.


	3. 1999 III

The next morning, Christian's nose is bandaged, his lip is swollen and there are fingerprint marks on his neck. Yet he is still standing at her front gate at 8:05 AM sharp in the morning.

'So what did Mr Grey and Dr Grey say?' Darcy asks as she falls into step beside him. She uses his mother's proper title and Christian smiles inwardly.

'This doesn't change anything', Christian says calmly. 'I still don't like talking.'

'Ok-ay', Darcy shrugs. 'But let me just put it out there that I can defend myself.'

'You shouldn't have to', Christian says, his shoulders tensing. 'Lowlifes who treat women that way shouldn't exist.'

'Wow', Darcy says awed at seeing this side of Christian. 'And they say chivalry's dead.'

'It's not chivalry', Christian replies, the anger faint but still present. 'It's basic human decency, women or rather anyone shouldn't be forced to barter their body for protection.'

Darcy realizes that they are no longer talking about her. Perhaps it's about his birth mother or something that happened to him while he was with a foster family. The Greys don't seem like sexual abusers but you can never be too sure.

'Um..', Darcy doesn't know how to ask if he has faced abuse at the hand of his adoptive parents. 'Has someone done something like that to you? That's a crime, they can go to jail. And you don't need to worry about where you'll go, you can stay with us. I'm pretty sure...'

She trails off when Christian bursts out laughing. 'My family's fine, thank you very much.'

'I'm sorry', Darcy mumbles, an embarrassed blush staining her cheeks a bright red. Christian nods smiling and his eyes flick downwards to her legs and he relaxes.

Darcy laughs and he looks at her sheepishly, scratching his head. 'You can wear what you want', he says softly. 'You shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable.'

'Yeah, right', Darcy shrugs. 'That was my old skirt that I had to wear that because I spilled milk on my new one. And look what happened. An extra inch of my skin revealed and I get catcalls. As if it's a non verbal poster saying I'm available, come get me.'

'I'm sorry', Christian says, looking at her intently. He had a new emotion in his eyes, she cannot identify it but she can feel the butterflies in her stomach at this development. Oh god, she is falling for him hard. Her cheeks flush but Christian's expression doesn't change. If anything, he stares at her hard and Darcy's breath quickens. His eyes are beautiful, a curious blend of blue and grey. The bandages only add to his appeal and little Darcy crows in delight at his closeness.

His hand touches her cheek and Darcy wants to close her eyes to wait for what is coming but then he pulls something out of her hair near her ear and says 'Why is there gum in your hair?'

And Darcy wants to die and kill Elliot, who is responsible for the aforementioned gum in her hair.

'Elliot', Darcy says in a strangled voice and Christian looks at her in surprise. It's then he notices how close he's standing to her and he moves back abruptly.

Darcy sighs and they resume walking. 


	4. 1999 IV

Their relationship changes after that. Well, Christian still doesn't talk much but he does contribute a word or two to Darcy's monologues here and there.

Oh yeah, she talks a lot now. Two months after 'their moment' as Darcy describes it, he knows almost everything there is to know about her. He knows that she loves reading, the feeling of having that first bath in the summer with cold water, drinking lemonade under the oak tree in her backyard, the color purple, Beatles, Alfred Hitchcock in no particular order.

The only child of a couple who come from old money, Darcy's their complete opposite. She's loud, clumsy, overtly friendly and talkative and a ray of sunshine in the lives of her parents.

Christian invites her home for dinner, one pleasant evening in October, Mrs Lewis looks like she's going to have a fit out of sheer excitement and Darcy smiles grimly as if she's going to war.

But whatever her fears, they are unfounded because the Greys love her. She is Christian's first friend after all. The moment Mia offers to show her their secret hiding place in the library, Elliot tells her that she's won his family's heart.

* * *

Christian is walking her back home. The sky is overcast and it looks like it's going to rain any second yet they walk at a sedate pace.

Darcy doesn't want this evening to end and Christian looks a bit grumpy.

'Christian', Darcy says softly, her hands in her pockets and her shoulders bent. She watches his fingers twitch in response as he looks at her posture. She immediately straightens and he nods.

'Keep your back straight', he says and Darcy has a wild desire to laugh. He sounds so grown up.

'What has you looking so grumpy this fine evening?' Darcy asks. 'I think we had a good time.'

'It's not that', Christian replies. 'My family is going to inundate me with questions about you the moment I go home.'

'It's probably because I'm the first friend who came over?' Darcy says. 'Why did you invite me in the first place?'

'My parents think I'm antisocial', Christian explains. 'They want to put me in therapy. I thought introducing you to them might help.'

'Okayy', Darcy draws out the word because she's slightly offended. She's just a way to stop his parents from forcing him to go to therapy, he didn't call her because he likes her or she's his friend. She's just an excuse.

She doesn't want to talk to him anymore, she walks faster because the sooner she reaches home, she sonner can say goodbye and go and throw cushions at her bedroom door.

Christian jogs to keep up with her suddenly frenetic pace and he pulls her back.

'What?' Darcy folds her arms across her chest, looking at a tree over his shoulder.

'I didn't mean to hurt you', Christian says. He looks nervous for the first time in all the years she's known him.

'I know you didn't', Darcy shrugs, she's well aware by now that Christian is not some dark and brooding hero to be rescued but an emotionally challenged kid who doesn't talk much and when he does, he's pinchingly honest. He didn't mean to hurt her, she knows but he did all the same.

'You are my friend', he says quietly. 'You are my only friend.'

Darcy sighs and runs a hand through her hair. Christian has come really far with her and she doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize his progress but she cannot just put her feelings to the side for his well being.

'Christian', she says, looking at his grey blue irisis and his too long lashes. 'You're too honest sometimes. You can probably build up with a compliment or two before telling me that you called me to your house just so you don't have to go to therapy.'

She wants to tell him that she agrees with the Greys, that he needs therapy but they are not at that place in their friendship yet.

'It was a reason', Christian admits. 'The primary reason in fact yet I called you because I enjoy your company too. I'm sorry.'

Darcy shrugs as if to say it's fine and they resume walking. But something has changed between them and Christian feels it for he comes up to the front door with her, unlike leaving her at the gate like he does usually and looks quite constipated.

'What?' Darcy asks him. She is surprised at herself for she is usually quite flexible and forgiving when it comes to Christian.

'Darcy, don't give up on me', Christan says, almost like it's being dragged out of him against his will. 'I'm not like you, I cannot talk to people and charm them but I do respect and admire you very much.'

A tear slips down her cheek and Darcy wipes it away. She's been on a crazy rollercoaster of emotions tonight. Christian looks scared out of his mind now that she's kind of crying and Darcy laughs and hugs him. He stiffens almost immediately but doesn't let go. She holds onto him, a couple more tears soaking into his shirt and slowly his arms come up around her and he holds her gingerly, not really touching her but his encircling her all the same.

It begins to rain when they break apart and Darcy smiles at Christian. He looks relieved and incredibly uncomfortable as well.

'Good Night, Darcy', he says softly as he turns and runs back home through the rain.

Darcy watched him till he's a tiny speck in the distance and then goes inside, shutting the door after her, a tiny little smile on her face.

* * *

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